United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) is hiring a Digital and Financial Capabilities Specialist with a contract of 4 months. The post is home-based along with travel to Nepal.

UNCDF makes public as well as private finance work for the poor in the world’s 46 least developed countries. As part of an initiative that will start in 2022, UNCDF will support SMEs that are developing/scaling up digital solutions that accelerate the economic recovery after COVID-19. It will provide continuum support by offering a full suite of services so that technology providers can offer tools for MSMEs to participate in the digital economy.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Identify as well as meet with top federations and associations serving MSMEs to first learn of their activities supporting the digitization of members.
2. Conduct a needs assessment of digital expertise lacking among MSME federations/associations to develop a curriculum designed to build the capacity of staff through training provided.
3. In addition, support the associations to build digital and financial capabilities of MSMEs
4. Also, support FNCCI and FNCSI in developing Digital Capabilities modules composed by a Trainer’s Guide to train MSMEs and a Training of Trainers Guide that could be used to disseminate the training either within the associations or to other stakeholders in Nepal.
5. Design the modules using adult learning principles and practices, identify the best delivery channels for the modules, pilot test the modules, refine the modules based on the pilot test results, develop monitoring tools to measure the quantity and the quality of the education as well as scale up the modules to the MSMEs.
6. In addition to this support, the consultant will build the capacity of the associations so they will be in the position to continue providing technical assistance to e-commerce platforms.
7. Moreover, provide technical assistance for FNCCI and FNCSI to review their mission.

Duration of Assignment.

Contract Duration: 50 days

Contract period: 21 February – 30 June 2022

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Qualification and Requirements

• A Master’s degree in Management, Finance, Rural Development, Economics, or other related fields. Two years of relevant professional experience in lieu of a Master’s will also be considered.
• Minimum 5 years of professional experience in designing training is mandatory.
• Also, minimum 3 years of experience in training others providing technical assistance, and building digital or financial capabilities is mandatory
• Minimum 5 years of experience in digital financial inclusion, including mobile money as well as other technologies is mandatory.
• In addition, experience working with the United Nations system is preferred but not mandatory.
• Fluent command of written and spoken the English language is mandatory.

Application Process

Interested individuals must submit the documents to UNCDF mentioned below as proposals in order to demonstrate their qualifications.

All applications must contain the following information and should be submitted by 10 February 2022:

• Cover letter with a summary statement of competencies as well as motivation rationalizing how the applicant meets the qualifications and can deliver the requirements of the Terms of Reference (TOR);
• Sample of 1 training session previously developed. The document must be in English;
• Complete and signed P11, Personal History Form with names and current contacts of 3 referees
• The financial proposal shall specify a lump sum amount that is inclusive of professional fees and other incidentals that the consultant expects to incur during the performance of the work. For this purpose, please complete and submit the Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability (Please click here for the document), please send it separately to the email address  [email protected] with the subject line: Digital and Financial Capabilities Specialist, Nepal.

Evaluation

Step I: Screening

Applications will be screened and only applicants meeting the mandatory criteria will progress to the pool for shortlisting.

Step II: Desk review (70 points).

A desk review will be conducted to produce a shortlist of applicants according to the criteria below. Only applicants who obtain 70% of the points shall be considered for financial evaluation.

Step III: Financial Evaluation (30 points).

Only applicants with a minimum of 70% at the desk review will be technically qualified for further evaluation.

The following formula will help to evaluate the financial proposal:

lowest priced proposal/price of the proposal being evaluated x 30%.